Plato Investment Management Ltd Buys 866 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Plato Investment Management Ltd raised its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 83.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,909 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 866 shares during the period. Plato Investment Management Ltd’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $2,019,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 3rd quarter worth about $848,000. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH grew its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 313.3% in the 4th quarter. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH now owns 1,521 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,603,000 after buying an additional 1,153 shares during the period. Clark & Stuart Inc acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,741,000. Empowered Funds LLC grew its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 27.0% in the 3rd quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 2,226 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $2,312,000 after buying an additional 473 shares during the period. Finally, Toronto Dominion Bank boosted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 72.6% during the 3rd quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 22,045 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $22,901,000 after purchasing an additional 9,270 shares during the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

W.W. Grainger stock opened at $999.11 on Tuesday. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52 week low of $874.98 and a 52 week high of $1,227.66. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $1,061.50 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $1,075.91. The company has a quick ratio of 1.49, a current ratio of 2.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The stock has a market cap of $48.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.81, a P/E/G ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.17.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.75 by ($0.04). W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 52.43% and a net margin of 11.12%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $8.33 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th were issued a $2.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.82%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 21.18%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. UBS Group assumed coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 price target for the company. StockNews.com downgraded W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,113.00 to $1,112.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $1,148.56.

About W.W. Grainger

W.W. Grainger, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, distributes maintenance, repair, and operating products and services primarily in North America, Japan, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company operates through two segments, High-Touch Solutions N.A. and Endless Assortment. The company provides safety, security, material handling and storage equipment, pumps and plumbing equipment, cleaning and maintenance, and metalworking and hand tools.